Goodbye- DISCONTINUED
by Dream For Tonight
Summary: Should I have seen it coming? Probably. Was I expecting to be chosen? Not really. Did I want to be the last one standing? Not in this life. For all Tayma knows, this could be her goodbye. Starts off with all districts' reapings. **Discontinued, being rewritten**
1. District 1

**Full Summary: **Should I have seen it coming? Probably. Was I expecting to be chosen? Not really. Did I want to be the last one standing? Not in this life. Tayma is a girl from District 12 specially picked for the 77th Hunger Games. She accepted being reaped, but she definitely didn't want to win, not with her current life. For all she knew, this could be the year she says goodbye.

**Hiya! This time, I _promise_ to finish this story(unlike all my others -_-) for my RL friends. I hope you enjoy~**

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**Chapter 1: District 1**

Hanja Flicker eagerly tapped the microphone while the camera crews got set up. The mayor has made the announcement for everyone to gather in the square. As the thin streams of people gradually became rivers flowing through the streets, one fifteen year old, Maple, anxiously paced around her house, waiting for her mother and father to pick up the pace.

"Mom, Dad, hurry up! I want to volunteer for this year's Hunger Games!" she screamed, her bleach blonde hair swaying by her pale face as she whipped around to face the halls.

"We're on our way, Maple. If you really want to, go on to the square without us!" said girl's father yelled back.

Without a moment to spare, Maple rushed out the door and slammed the door shut so hard that the entire house shook a little. _I can't wait for this year,_ she thought. _I've had my amount of training, I know I can win this!_ Running into the square, Maple followed the flow of people until she stepped into line with all the others that had to get a fingerprint check. Her purple silk shirt and skirt clinging to her with sweat from running, she obediently laid out a finger. Blinking from the slight sting from the injection, the blonde received permission to go to her appropriate line, which she did. Looking around at her fellow fifteen year olds, she noticed that there were many people with their eyes slightly lit up. Maple smiled at this and nodded her head when she saw her parents in the crowd.

"Attention, attention everybody!" Hanja screamed. The people of District 1 didn't listen and kept whispering and murmuring to each other. Hanja flinched and forced another smile and called out even louder, "May I have your attention, please?" And _that_ got everyone's attention with their ears ringing. After the usual history of how the Hunger Games were formed and how District 13 was obliterated, Hanja proceeded to turn and reach a hand into the female's reaping bowl. "Ladies first!" she said. Dramatically fumbling with the tiny envelope, Hanja poised it in front of her microphone and announced the female tribute.

"Shine Heatstone!"

Everyone turned to face said girl, who stepped up in front of everyone else that was lined up. She was skinny, with blonde, almost ginger, hair that reached her waist and fiery amber eyes. Unlike most children and teens here, this girl looked almost scared to be chosen to participate this year. Hanja nodded as Shine walked up onto the stage, lifting up her dress as she did so.

"Now, would anyone like to volunteer in place of Shine?" Hanja asked, and was answered with plenty of people ready to take the younger tribute's place. Maple rolled her eyes and began shouting with the rest of the girls, "I volunteer!"

Hanja scanned the mass of wanna-be female tributes, looking for just the right girl. Hanja stopped looking on a certain blonde and smiled. "All right then, Maple Shimmerlight will be taking the place of Shine Heatstone!"

The latter quietly shouted "Yes" and forced herself to slowly walk up the steps to the stage, giving a quick nod at Shine, who flashed a grateful smile.

Hanja then turned once more and this time, reached one overly manicured hand in the male's reaping bowl. Swirling her hand around in the bin, occasionally picking up an envelope then dropping it back in, the woman finally decided on one slip and faced the eagerly waiting crowd.

"Marble Thorndusk!"

The rest of the district turned around again, this time facing the slender boy stepping out from the thirteen year old line. He was lanky, that's for sure. He had dirty blonde, messy hair and bright blue eyes shining with excitement; apparently he had been training too.

Hanja walked the rest of the way to Marble and grabbed his hand and went back to the stage, where she grabbed Maple's. She raised both teens' hands in the air and into the microphone, said, "Your District 1 77th annual Hunger Games tributes!"

The district roared with applause.

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"Honey, remember what you've learned in training. You know you can trust your prep team to help you make a good impression. You know you can trust your partner to help you," Maple's mother reminded, holding her daughter by the shoulders.

_Of course I will, I might be able to trust that prep team, and I'm not relying on my partner, _Maple thought, absent-mindedly nodding at her mother's words. "Mom, I have to go. Marble's waiting for me and the train is coming soon!" she protested, softly stomping her feet on the plush carpet.

"I know, dear. Just remember to follow your instinct, okay?"

Maple's only reply was a nod before she ran out of the house once more, possibly her last time.

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Later that night (the reaping was in the late afternoon), Maple turned to Marble, slightly jumping as the speeding train ran over a bump in the tracks. "So, how many times was your name put in the reaping bowl?" she asked, hoping to start some sort of interaction.

Marble widened his eyes, as though only just noticing Maple's presence beside him. "Um…this would be my second time, my first when I was twelve- obviously," he replied, his eyes expressionless. "How about you?" he quickly added at the end.

"Same," Maple nodded.

There were a few moments of both awkward and tense silence before Hanja opened the door to their car with her ever-present smile. "Dinner's ready two cars down if you're feeling hungry!" she trilled, walking across the car and crossing out of sight.

Marble spoke first. "You hungry?" he asked; speed walking towards the door Hanja had exited from.

Maple glanced down at her stomach, which was rumbling so loud that she was sure Marble heard it. She then remembered that she hadn't eaten breakfast that day; or lunch for that matter due to her hope for being chosen to compete. "…Yeah, I'm pretty hungry," she replied, softly smiling as she turned around. "Come on!" she grabbed Marble's wrist and dragged him out the car door.

Maple took a quick look, surveying what the Capitol ate at this time. There were plenty of options to choose from; including some foods that she remembered eating back in District 1 (**A.N. …That I'm too lazy to list XD)**. She had some manners though, and pulled her chair in when she sat down next to Hanja. She laid an unfolded napkin across her lap, much to Hanja's approval. As they ate, Hanja spoke up. "So," she began. "What do you two think the Capitol will be like? I'm just asking to see what you think," she asked.

Marble thought over it for a second, while Maple jumped at Marble's hesitation. "I think the Capitol will be very similar to District 1. It'll be fancy, but basic."

At Hanja's nod, Marble voiced his opinion. "I was thinking what Maple was; except I also think that the people there go overboard with their looks, from what I've heard before."

Hanja blinked. "Well, surprisingly, you two have the basic description of the Capitol down. Have past victors told you about that?"

The two tributes nodded in response.

"What do you know? It seems we're already nearing the City Circle!" Hanja spoke, gesturing out the window to the dozens of people swarming around the high window. "Now, once we get off, you'll be meeting your prep teams; one for each of you. Have faith in them and they'll have faith in you," were the older woman's parting words before ushering them into a large building where they'll meet the two Capitol-bred teams that would make their first impressions.

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**What do you think? I couldn't resist putting in the part with Maple and her mom...next chapter, District 2!  
Please feed that review button! ^.^**


	2. District 2

**Full Summary: **Should I have seen it coming? Probably. Was I expecting to be chosen? Not really. Did I want to be the last one standing? Not in this life. Tayma is a girl from District 11 specially picked for the 75th Hunger Games. She accepted being reaped, but she definitely didn't want to win, not with her current life. For all she knew, this could be the year she says goodbye.

**Hello again! I hope you enjoy what happens in District 2- if you notice that some things seem similar to Chapter 1, I took that chapter's format and edited it with District 2's info...excuse me for not having the inspiration to create an enitrely different chapter. Remember that these reapings are happening during the same day, and now I'll leave you to enjoy the chapter~**

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**Chapter 2: District 2**

"Attention, everybody! If you haven't already, make your way to the front of Military Mountain for the 77th Hunger Games reaping!" the mayor cried into a rather large microphone. **(A.N. 'Military Mountain' is my version of the 'Nut', as that term was only used by the rebels and I have no idea what District 2 natives call it.) **

Tale Slate plugged the microphone cords into an amplifier in the corner of the stage while the camera crews readied themselves. After the mayor made the announcement for everyone to mingle by Military Mountain, the few people that weren't already gathered at the base of the mountain were trickling into the rest of the crowd.

A girl anxiously fidgeted in her line for fourteens. She was short; unlike mostly everyone her age with dusky brown hair-similar to a mouse- and striking pale gray eyes. This girl's name was Mina, after the word 'mineral'.

She saw both her older and younger sisters in the twelve year old and seventeen year old lines- respectively. Without a moment to spare since everyone was sure the entire district was here, Tale raised the microphone to his mouth and began to speak. "Welcome, welcome, to Military Mountain!" he began, as if the mass of people before him were tourists and visitors, rather than the natives they were. "As you know, there is a very important reason why the Hunger Games exist…"

After what seemed like forever and a day, Tale finally finished his speech and went on to turn and reach a hand into the female's reaping bowl. "Now for the girls!" he said. Unlike previous escorts, he had no staged delays with the small paper; Tale lifted the paper and read the name, loud and clear.

"Mina Grainstone!"

Everyone turned to face said girl and cheered, who stepped up in front of everyone else that was lined up. Mina smiled and relaxed her shoulders and let go of her cardigan as she walked up on the stage, turning to face the members of District 2. Her cobalt dress fluttered with the gentle breeze partially blocked by the skyscraper of a mountain nearby.

"Now, would anyone like to volunteer in place of Mina?" Tale cried, and was answered with, shockingly, no one to volunteer. Mina raised an eyebrow and glanced around to see if it was true. And it was.

Tale scanned the lined up candidates for the reaping, also doing a double take. "All right then, Mina Grainstone will be your female Hunger Games tribute!"

The female Hunger Games tribute in question quietly shouted "Yes" and nodded, confidence brimming in her eyes as she looked up once more.

Tale turned around once more and this time, reached one hand that needed taking care of in the male's reaping bowl. His hand now in the bin, occasionally picking up an envelope then dropping it back in, the man picked a single slip and faced the crowd that seemed to be leaning forward with each second ticking away.

"Steel Whiterock!"

The rest of the district turned once more, this time facing the…developed boy stepping out from the sixteen year old line. He was _not_ on the skinny side, definitely. He had deep red hair and dull blue eyes showing near no emotion; his appearance lives up to his name.

Tale grasped his hand and went back to the stage, where he grabbed Mina's as well. He raised both tributes' hands in the air and shouted into the microphone, to the camera crews, mayor, and district, "District 2, here are your District 77th annual Hunger Games tributes!"

The district erupted with applause and shouts of encouragement.

Later that afternoon (the reaping was in the morning), Mina turned to Steel, flinching when she saw his build and how he seemed to be statue-like, not moving at all, except for the occasional blink. Mina played with her hair, trying to think of something to say. She opened her mouth several times, then thought the question would be silly and closed it again.

Steel blinked for a longer time than the others, finally noticing Mina's appearance beside him. "Well, how old are you?" he asked, his eyes ever expressionless. "I'm sixteen years," he added, with an urgent tone, as if he wanted to provide his information first.

"I know you're sixteen," Mina nodded and faced Steel. "I'm fourteen years old- we're not that far apart."

There were a few moments small talk and tense silence following each bit of conversation before Tale opened the door to their car with his hands clenching and unclenching- a habit of his that Mina noticed as they originally boarded the train to the Capitol. "Lunch is all set and ready for eating in the next car if you're feeling hungry," the man said, light-heartedly laughing as though he sensed the feelings between the two. He stepped across the car not-so-quietly and left their line of vision.

Mina spoke first. "Are you ready to eat?" she asked; starting to back away from the window the two were looking at.

Steel shook his head. "I'm fine," he replied. "I ate some food before I left District 2 just in case. I'll eat dinner, though." To Mina's surprise, once you started a conversation with Steel, he really wasn't that hard to talk to…

Mina quickly nodded and left the car, closing the door behind her as she left. Outside the car, she gulped at the rattling lock that kept the cars together, then looked farther down at the aqua and emerald treetops- the train was on tracks that were on a bridge thousands of feet above ground level. Mina didn't want to imagine what could happen if the driver up front made a mistake. Shaking her head, she cautiously took a step and reached for the door to the dining car, nearly panicking when the train sped over a bump- despite the training she's had prior to the Games.

Back in the previous car, Steel turned from the window and got another glimpse at the space he would have access to during the trip- not like he'd do much. _We'd probably arrive shortly after dinner,_ he thought.

When Tale once again entered Steel's car, Steel himself voiced his reason for not being at the dining hall feasting like everyone else. "I'm not hungry. I ate before I came here." Tale nodded and turned to leave the car again, the door rattling with a metallic clang as it slammed shut.

Inside the dining car, Mina nodded at the choices of food for lunchtime. "Well, all this seems familiar, though some things are new," she commented. That seemed to please Tale, who obviously wanted something to be different than what District 2 normally received from the Capitol.

After lunch, which was extremely rich, Tale wiped his hands and turned to face Mina, who was sitting next to him.

"Now time flies, it seems we're already nearing the City Circle!" Tale spoke, gesturing out the window to the dozens of people swarming around the high window. Despite Steel's calculations, which were correct at first, but the driver chose to speed up, which no one noticed because they were already going the speed of bullet trains and beyond. "When we get off, you and Steel will be meeting your prep teams; one for each of you. They'll be designing you a costume that you will present to President Coin during the opening parade. Trust me, they'll make you look good," was what the older man said before telling Mina to bring Steel with her as they exited the train to meet the Capitol citizens.

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**What did you think? Please review!**


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